Process for manufacturing a fermented food product using cell extracts

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a fermented food product, which enables the maturation phase of said product to be shortened and its organoleptic to be improved. The process is characterized by the addition to the raw material of a cluster of cell extracts of its fermenting micro-organisms, which are either naturally present or added in live state. The proportion of each extract in the cluster is approximately equivalent to that of the corresponding micro-organism in the fermenting mixture.

This application is a 371 National Stage of PCT/FR98/00649, filed Mar.31, 1998.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a process for manufacturing fermented foodproducts. More particularly, it relates to the use of the cell contentsof micro-organisms in order to reduce the duration of the ripening phaseand to improve the organoleptic properties of these products.

PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION

The processes for manufacturing fermented products may be divided intotwo major steps:

preparation of the product for fermentation,

ripening or maturation of this product, during which the constituents ofthe raw material are converted by the action of physical or biologicalfactors, such as enzymes, certain of which are of microbial origin.

This second phase is often quite long. For obvious economic reasons, theuse of different means has already been envisaged in order to shortenits duration. In the field of milk products, they consist of:

physical means: patent WO-A-8705470 describes the use of a magneticfield to accelerate the ripening of cheeses. Another patent recommendsincreasing the pressure;

microbiological means: certain patents describe the addition ofparticular micro-organisms in order to shorten the ripening period.Thus, patent EP 0 365 173 mentions the use of a novel micro-organism,while patents SU-A-1 353401 and NL-A-8700176 each refer to the additionof a particular lactobacillus with a normal lactococcus flora. Patent EP0 304 119 describes the use of a concentrate obtained from fermentationproducts of components of cheese by the action of micro-organisms havinga proteolytic, lipolytic or peptidolytic activity;

enzymatic means: certain patents describe the addition of an enzyme suchas a protease, (EP 0 246 163), a fruit protease (JP-A-062661682), and alipase extracted from a strain of Aspergillus (EP 0 167 309);

combination of means: certain processes envisage the addition to the rawmaterial of an enzyme and a micro-organism in order to accelerateripening. Patent CA 2 072 159 describes the use of a neutrase and aheated lactobacillus while patent EP 469 857 mentions the addition of alactobacillus and a lipase or a protease.

The process described in patent EP 0 337 497 concerns the manufacture offermented products and enables the maturation of these products to beaccelerated by adding extracts of cells of one or more usualmicro-organisms to the mass of raw material.

However, no proportions or indications are given as to the number ofdifferent types of micro-organisms making up the solution added to theraw material. Moreover, the examples, and more particularly example 2,emphasise that this process encourages the development of one or moreflavours but does not deal with the ripening process in its entirety.

The description of the process made in this patent application thus doesnot indicate any technical means capable of resolving a problem in areproducible manner.

The invention described in patent EP 0 058 856 concerns a process forthe preparation of flavoured food products enabling the maturation timefor the products to be reduced.

According to this invention, the flavouring and acceleration of thematuration process are brought about by the addition of an alreadyfermented mass to the raw material and not by the direct addition ofripening factors. This mass is obtained by adding isolated enzymecomplexes, derived from pure or mixed cultures of the usualmicro-organisms, to a fraction of the material to be flavoured. Theacceleration of ripening thus relies on the special treatment applied tothis fraction.

Patent FR 2 368 224 claims the use of a purified protease extracted froma mould and an autolysate of the cells of a lactic bacterium as theproteolytic enzyme source.

Finally, patents U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,991 and EP 0 159 303 describe theaddition to milk, after treatment, of an extract of micro-organismsnormally used in the manufacture of cheese.

these extracts include one or more enzymes. Reading these two textsshows that:

these inventions relate to the addition of extracts having only aproteolytic action,

the extract mentioned is always produced from a very limited number ofdifferent micro-organism strains, which belong to the group of lacticbacteria.

It thus follows from a study of the prior art that:

many solutions have been envisaged for accelerating the ripening offermented products;

these use different means;

if the means are microbiological, the micro-organism, or exceptionallymicro-organisms, used are almost exclusively lactic bacteria;

if the means are enzymatic, it relates to a single enzyme family whichis almost always that of proteases. Moreover, when the enzyme is derivedfrom a micro-organism, this extract is partially or totally purified.

In the field of cured meat products, the processes used remaintraditional and the acceleration of ripening has consequently not beenstudied.

Up to now, the solutions proposed to shorten the ripening phase of afermented product using micro-organisms or their enzymes therefore aimsalmost solely at encouraging the biochemical processes brought about bylactic bacteria.

In addition, although the solutions of the prior art exhibit a certainefficiency as regards the shortening of the ripening phase, they stilltoo often provide a final product having unsatisfactorily organolepticproperties. Indeed, whatever the acceleration process used, the productobtained generally exhibits an attenuation of flavours and unctuousnessof the paste due to the attenuation of proteolysis or lipolysis. Inorder to compensate for this phenomenon, the tendency has been to modifythe technology by increasing the fat content and to remove lactoseduring draining. The quality of the final product is however often veryvariable.

It should finally be noted that the manufacturing conditions (pH,temperature, duration of certain phases, addition of compounds etc.) fora given fermented food product are very strict. The biochemicalreactions occurring during maturation are numerous, complex andsequential. Their combination is poorly understood and the interventionof a new factor, even an apparently simple one, in a ripening processalways has consequences which are difficult to estimate.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention compared with the prior art is toshorten still further the ripening phase of fermented food products andto improve their organoleptic properties.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a method for preparing and using the cellcontents of a complete collection of micro-organisms for ripeningfermented food products.

It more particularly concerns an improved process for manufacturingfermented food products such as cheeses or cured meat products by addingthe cell contents of this collection to the components of the startingmaterial.

In the normal process for manufacturing fermented products, the rawmaterial is subjected to various treatments before the product is storedfor ripening.

For a milk product, after standardization and if necessary heattreatment of the milk, the following stages are carried out, amongothers:

coagulation or precipitation of the curds; this is obtained by theaddition of enzymes (rennet) or by acidification of the raw material; itmay also be combined (rennet and acidifying compounds). To this stage ofthe process, according to the desired final product and the particularoperating conditions, technological flora may be added (lactic fermentand/or ripening microbial flora, known as secondary flora).

draining: this separates the whey from the curds so as to bring thelatter to a particular water content and so as to adjust mineralization.At the start of this phase, cutting and washing, stirring or furthermorepressing, washing and moulding may be carried out according to the finalproduct desired.

salting: this acts on the bound water by changing the water bonds to thesubstrate. Accordingly, it completes draining, acts on the developmentof micro-organisms and consequently influences ripening and contributesto the flavour of the cheese,

ripening: this corresponds to the enzymatic digestion of the curdsobtained by biochemical transformations, giving the cheese newproperties; enzymes are ripening agents and have various origins (milk,rennet or rennet substitute, and micro-organisms from milk, from yeasts,from the atmosphere etc.).

It should be noted that the normal processes for manufacturing milkproducts do not systematically include the addition of a technologicalflora. Indeed, certain operating methods are such that themicro-organisms naturally present in milk or the contaminants comingfrom the environment in which this milk is collected and treated etc.are sufficient to ensure the desired conversion of these compounds ofthe raw material. The absence of seeding with any lactic or ripeningflora thus does not signify that the cheese is manufactured without theintervention of this flora but that the latter is naturally present inthe raw material.

For a cured meat products, the following are principally carried out:

cutting the meat,

adding additives and technological flora,

filling,

incubation,

storage for ripening.

These known processes have in common the use (natural presence orseeding) of a ripening flora consisting of a mixture of differentmicro-organisms (bacteria, yeasts and/or moulds) of which the nature andproportion are a function of the final product desired. This floraserves to transform the components of the raw material and to give thefinal product its characteristics of flavour and texture, etc. Thequantity of cells thus added is generally between approximately 10² and10⁵ per milliliter of milk or gramme of meat according to the nature ofthe species. This quantity is less than that of living organisms takingpart in the ripening mechanism. Indeed, the concentration of bacteria,yeasts and moulds varies with time by reason of their multiplication.The importance of this development varies according to themicro-organism considered, the conditions under which the treated rawmaterial is kept, etc.

The invention consists of adding to the components of this raw materiala collection of cell extracts taken from the collection ofmicro-organisms of which the composition and properties are based onthose of the ripening flora, either natural or provided by seeding, fora given product.

The mixture of extracts of these multiple micro-organisms mainly containproteases, peptidases, lipases and esterases, enzymes serving tocatalyze the reactions which are poorly understood but which are howevernecessary for the maturation of these products, i.e. for conferringtheir characteristics of flavour, appearance and texture etc.

A cell equivalent is defined as all the constituents of this cell (cellcontents and membrane fragments) after its lysis. According to thepresent invention, the number of cell equivalents forming the addedcollection is greater, by approximately 10 to 1000 times, than thenumber of cells constituting the ripening bacterial flora normallyseeding the raw material. The collection of cell extracts thus ensuresthe provisions of 5.10⁴ to 10⁸ cell equivalents per milliliter of milkor gramme of meat.

The method for preparing the collection of extracts of micro-organismscomprises the steps of:

preparing the biomass;

optional concentration of this;

cell lysis;

blending the extracts obtained.

The living material is prepared by traditional fermentation carried outin such a way as to obtain a final biomass of approximately 10⁹ ufc/mlfor bacteria and 10⁷ for yeasts and moulds. The micro-organisms used inthis process are as follows:

GRAM+ Bacteria:

Corynebacteriaceae family:

genus Corynebacterium, of the species C. glutamicum

genus Brevibacterium, of the species B. linens

genus Arthrobacter, of the species A. globiformis

genus Propionibacterium

Micrococaceae family:

genus Micrococcus

genus Staphylococcus, of the species S. xylosus and S. carnosus

GRAM− Bacteria:

Enterobacteriaceae family

genus Hafnia, of the species H. alvei

genus Enterococcus, of the species E. faecalis or E. faecium

Yeasts:

genus Debaryomyces, of the species D. hansenii

genus Saccharomyces of the species S. cerevisiae

genus Kluyveromyces, of the species K. lactis

genus Geotrichum, of the species G. candidum

Moulds:

Filamentous fungi family:

genus Penicillium, of the species P. candidum, P. chrysogenum, P.roquefortii and P. nalgiovensis

The development of each strain used is carried out in separately.However certain related micro-organisms may be cultivated in the samefermenter.

Concentration of the biomass is an optional step. It is carried out bycentrifuging, tangential filtration or any other method known in theart.

Cellular lysis is carried out by known means such as irradiation, heattreatment, freeze drying, ultra high pressures, osmotic shock,ultrasound, pH variations, grinding, enzyme treatment etc. It enablesenzymes to be collected from bacteria, yeasts or moulds. It is chosen insuch a way as to limit to a maximum the denaturing of these biologicalcatalysts.

The blend of extracts of different origins, namely coming from eachmicro-organism cultivated, is prepared according to known processes. Atthis stage of the treatment, it is in the form of a suspension.

According to an alternative embodiment, this mixture is dried, frozen ortreated by any process known in the art, giving it a solid form suitablefor keeping.

The peculiarity of this collection is thus that it includes a relativelylarge number of enzymes. Each of these possesses a particular function(conversion of proteins, hydrolysis of peptides, modification of lipidsand liberation of a large number of compounds, certain of which have animportant part to play on the texture and flavour of the products).Their action, and that of the enzymes of ripening micro-organismsnaturally present or incorporated, is accumulative.

This collection of the extracts of micro-organisms thus constitutes acomplex factor for modifying the ripening process. It has been foundhowever that it ensures that all the catalytic reactions are carried outwhich are necessary for good maturation while respecting thefermentation mechanisms which enable a final product to be obtained witha quality superior to that of a product obtained by a conventionalprocess. Analyses making it possible to arrive at an assessment which isboth objective, by instrumental methods (measurement of theconcentration of organic acids), as well as subjective, by provingdifferences established by a jury of experts, show that this addition ofa collection of extracts of micro-organisms also makes it possible toimprove the organoleptic properties of the final product. With an equalripening time, the products manufactured according to the process of thepresent invention compared with those obtained by the normal process,have an unchanged organic acid content and are judged to be better(score similar to a more intense flavour).

For a given product, the addition to its raw material of a mixtureconsisting of extracts of all or part of the micro-organisms taking partin its natural maturation therefore has the effect of accelerating itsripening and of improving its organoleptic properties.

The preferred method of use consists of adding the collection ofextracts thus obtained to milk before coagulation during theintroduction of rennet or acidifying compounds or to the meat blendbefore filling. The quantity of extract added depends on its method ofpreparation. For cultures producing the concentrations previously stated(10⁹ for bacteria, 10⁷ for years and moulds), it is approximately{fraction (1/10000)} of the volume (for milk) or of the mass (for meat)of the raw material if the biomass has been subjected to concentrationsteps and has been put into a salt solution. It is 1 % in the contrarycase.

According to a variant, the collection of extracts of micro-organisms isincorporated in the raw material during its pretreatment i.e. 12 to 24hours before the start of the manufacture.

According to another variant, this addition is made during a subsequentphase of the manufacturing process before maturation starts.

Table 1 gives a summary by family of the fermented food product, thepreferred collection of micro-organisms and the number of cells, theextract of which is incorporated in 1 milliliter of milk or 1 gramme ofmeat.

TABLE 1 CHEESE Cheeses Micro- Equivalent to the number of cells/ml ofmilk organisms A B C D BACTERIA Corynebacterium 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶to 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ B. linens 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 5.10⁷5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ Arthrobacter 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ Propionibacterium 0 0 0 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ Micrococcus 10⁶ to 10⁶to 10⁶ to 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ 5.10⁷ YEASTS Debaryomyces 10⁵ to 10⁵to 10⁵ to 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ Kluyveromyces 10⁵ to 10⁵ to 10⁵to 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ 5.10⁶ Geotrichum 10⁵ to 0 0 0 5.10⁶ MOULDSP. candidum 5.10⁴ to   0 0 0 5.10⁵ P. roquefortii 0 0 5.10⁴ to   0 5.10⁵CURED MEAT PRODUCTS Micro-organisms Equivalent to the number of cells/gof meat BACTERIA Staphylococcus 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ Micrococcus 10⁶ to 5.10⁷YEASTS Debaryomyces 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ Kluyveromyces 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ MOULDS P.chrysogenum 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵   P. nalgiovensis 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵   A. A softor unpressed uncooked cheese with a flowered rind B. A soft or unpresseduncooked cheese with a washed rind C. A veined cheese D. A cookedpressed cheese.

According to one variant, the addition of this collection of cellextracts may be accompanied by one or more ripening factors consistingof enzymes, lactic bacteria, an extract from their cells and acollection of extracts from their cells or furthermore any othercompatible treatment aimed at improving the process for manufacturingthe fermented product.

According to another embodiment, the collection of extracts frommicro-organisms is added in an excess compared with the proportionsmentioned previously, to only a fraction of the raw material. The volumeof this fraction is between 5 and 50 % of the volume or the mass of theraw material. After acceleration maturation due to the extent of theconcentration of cell extracts, this fraction is itself added to therest of the raw material. These two parts are mixed at any moment aslong as they have consistencies which will ensure the uniformity of thesaid material. The addition of this fraction ripened in an acceleratedmanner mainly provides an addition of flavour.

EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS

I—A cheese of the Edam Type was Prepared According to the PresentInvention

I.1 Choice of Micro-organisms

The micro-organisms of which an extract was used in this embodimentwere:

Geotrichum

B. linens

A. globiformis

I.2 Culture of Micro-organisms

Geotrichum was cultured in a medium composed of monopotassium phosphate,magnesium sulfate, dextrose, yeast extract, lactic acid and deionizedwater.

The initial pH of this solution was between 4 and 4.5.

Incubation was carried out at 25° C. It was aerobic and lasted 36 to 48hours.

The final concentration of Geotrichum in the broth was approximately10⁷/ml.

B. linens and A. globiformis were cultured in distinct media composed ofmagnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, ascorbic acid, yeast extract, caseinpeptone, Tween 80, lactose, skimmed milk and deionized water.

The initial pH of these broths was adjusted to 7 with acid.

Incubation was carried out at 25° C. It was aerobic and lasted 15 to 24hours.

The final concentration of B. linens or A. globiformis in the broths wasapproximately 10⁹/ml.

I.3 Concentration of the Biomass

This was carried out by centrifuging according to a known process.

I.4 Cell Lysis

This was carried out by osmotic shock by placing a gramme of eachculture in 10 ml of a 20% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Before thestart of lysis, a cell count showed that the concentration ofmicro-organisms in their respective solutions was approximately:

Geotrichum 10⁸/ml

B. linens 10¹⁰/ml

A. globiformis 10¹⁰/ml

I.5 Addition of the Cell Extract from the Collection of Micro-organisms

Milk, standardized in fats, was placed in a 500 liter vessel. It washeat treated: heated to 72° C. for 20 seconds.

The usual food processing agents were then added to the milk treated inthis way:

lactic ferments,

coagulant,

calcium chloride,

as well as the collection of cell extracts according to the presentinvention.

The ripening micro-organisms were naturally present in the raw materialwhich was therefore not subjected to seeding.

The collection of cell extracts was prepared by blending:

5 volumes of Geotrichum extract solution (11%)

15 volumes of B. linens extract solution (33%)

25 volumes of B. globiformis extract solution (56%).

Table 2 gives the quantitative details of this operation.

TABLE 2 Number of cell Quantity of solution equivalents added/ml ofintroduced into 500 l of Micro-organisms milk milk Geotrichum   10⁴ 5 mlB. linens 3.10⁶ 150 ml A. globiformis 5.10⁶ 250 ml Mixture 8.10⁶ 450 ml

450 ml of the mixture of extracts from the three micro-organisms wereadded to 500 liters of milk in the vessel.

All the additives and the milk were blended so as to obtain ahomogeneous product which was then treated by the usual process.

I.6 Ripening of the Product

This type of cheese is normally ripened for a period extending from 7weeks to 16 months, according to the quality of the desired product,before satisfactory organoleptic properties are obtained.

In the cheese making tests carried out, the cheeses were ripened at 15°C. for a period extending from 3 to 7 weeks.

Measurements were taken during these tests on the degree of proteolysis(table 3) and tasting tests were also carried out in order to evaluatethe texture and taste of the products.

The results of these tests showed that:

the process remained verifiable and controlled, contrary to the casewith experiments consisting of adding pure enzymes;

the organic acid content was not altered at the end of 7 weeks, thisresult demonstrating the normal progress of the ripening process;

the results of the best tests at 3 and 5 weeks corresponded to those ofthe controls at 5 and 7 weeks respectively;

analysis of all the results made it possible to estimate a gain in timeof approximately 30% of the ripening time.

TABLE 3 Proteolysis (mmol/kg) Micro-organisms 3 weeks 5 weeks 7 weeksGeotrichum 90 120 166 B. linens 73 107 130 A. globiformis 73 100 128Mixture 78  98 143 Control 69  97 136

II—A Dried Fermented Sausage was Prepared According to the PresentInvention

II.1 Choice of Micro-organisms

The micro-organisms of which an extract was used in this embodimentwere:

Micrococcus

Staphylococcus

Penicillium

II.2 Culture of Micro-organisms

Micrococcus and Staphylococcus were cultured in distinct media composedof lactose, casein peptone, yeast extract, meat peptone, sodiumchloride, magnesium sulfate and deionized water.

The pH was held at 6.

Incubation was carried out at 30° C. and lasted 24 hours.

The final concentration of Micrococcus or of Staphylococcus in the brothwas 10⁹/ml.

Penicillium was cultured in a medium composed of glucose, calciumchloride, potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, yeast extract, sodiumglutamate, manganese sulfate and deionized water.

The initial pH of this solution was 5.

Incubation was carried out at 21° C. and lasted 3 to 5 days withaerobiosis.

The final concentration of Penicillium in the broth was approximately10⁷/ml.

II.3 Concentration of the Biomass

This was carried out by centrifuging according to a known process.

II.4 Cell Lysis

This was carried out by osmotic shock by placing a gramme of eachculture in 10 ml of a 20% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Before thestart of lysis, a cell count showed that the concentration ofmicro-organisms in their respective solutions was approximately:

Micrococcus 10¹⁰/ml

Staphylococcus 10¹⁰/ml

Penicillium 10⁸/ml

II.5 Addition of the Cell Extract from the Collection of Micro-organisms

100 kg of meat were prepared in a cutter.

The usual food processing agents and additives were then added to theblend obtained in this way:

acidifying ferments,

maturation ferments,

sugars

spices

as well as the collection of cell extracts according to the presentinvention.

The latter was prepared by blending:

1 volume of Micrococcus extract solution (33.3%)

1 volume of Staphylococcus extract solution (33.3%)

1 volume of Penicillium extract solution (33.3%)

Table 4 gives the quantitative details of this operation.

TABLE 4 Number of cell Quantity of solution equivalents added/g ofintroduced into 100 kg Micro-organisms meat of blend Micrococcus 10⁶ 10ml Staphylococcus 10⁶ 10 ml Penicillium 10⁴ 10 ml Mixture 2.10⁶   30 ml

30 ml of the mixture of extracts from the three micro-organisms wereadded to 100 kg of blend.

All the additives and the blend were mixed so as to obtain a homogeneousproduct which was then treated by the usual process.

II.6 Ripening of the Product

This type of dried sausage is usually incubated from 3 to 15 days attemperatures varying between 19 and 23° C. It is then dried for 3 to 4weeks at approximately 13° C.

In the tests carried out, the dried sausages were incubated for 6 daysat 21° C. and then dried for a period extending from 2 to 4 weeks.

During these tests, tastings were carried out in order to evaluate thetaste and texture of the products.

The results of these tests were as follows:

the usual parameters for following production (water loss etc) showed anormal progress for the ripening process,

the results of the best tests after 2 and 3 weeks corresponded to thoseof the controls at 3 and 4 weeks respectively,

analysis of all the results made it possible to estimate a gain in timeof 20 to 30% of the ripening period.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for reducing the duration of theripening phase during the manufacturing of a fermented food product froma raw material consisting of a milk or a meat, and to improve theorganoleptic properties of the fermented food product, said processcomprising the steps of: a) preparing a biomass consisting essentiallyof a mixture of cells of different species of living ripeningmicroorganisms, b) lysing the cells of said ripening microorganisms toobtain cell extracts, c) blending said cell extracts, and d) adding avolume of said cell extracts to said raw material, wherein the number ofmicroorganism cell equivalents contained in the volume of the cellextracts added to the raw material is from 10 to 1000 times greater thanthe number of the same microorganism cells present in said raw material.2. The process of claim 1, wherein said biomass is prepared from amixture of different ripening microorganisms selected from the groupconsisting of: Corynebacterium glutamicum, Brevibacterium linens,Arthrobacter globiformis, genus Propionibacterium, genus Micrococcus,Staphylococcus xylosus, Staphylococcus carnosus, Hafnia alvei,Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Debaryomyces hansenii,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis, Geotrichum candidum,Penicillium candidum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium roquefortii,and Penicillium nalgiovensis.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein theprocess produces a soft or uncooked pressed cheese with a flowered rind,and the mixture of ripening microorganisms consists of: 10⁶ to 5.10⁷cells of Corynebacterium, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells B. linens, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷cells of Arthrobacter, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Micrococcus, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶cells of Debaryomyces, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells of Kluyveromyces, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶cells of Geotrichum, and 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵ cells of P. candidum, permilliliter of milk.
 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the processproduces a soft or uncooked pressed cheese with a washed rind, and themixture of ripening microorganisms consists of: 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells ofCorynebacterium, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of B. linens, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells ofArthrobacter, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Micrococcus, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells ofDebaryomyces, and 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells of Kluyveromyces, per milliliter ofmilk.
 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the process produces ablue-veined soft cheese, and the mixture of ripening microorganismsconsists of: 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Corynebacterium, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cellsof B. linens, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ of Arthrobacter, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells ofMicrococcus. 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells of Debaryomyces, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells ofKluyveromyces, and 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵ cells of P. roquefortii, permilliliter of milk.
 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the processproduces a cooked pressed cheese, and the mixture of ripeningmicroorganisms consists of: 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Corynebacterium, 10⁶to 5.10⁷ of B. linens, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Arthrobacter, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷cells of Micrococcus, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Propionibacterium, 10⁵ to5.10⁶ cells of Debaryomyces, and 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells of Kluyveromyces,per milliliter of milk.
 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the processproduces a cured meat product and the mixture of ripening microorganismsconsists of: 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells of Staphylococcus, 10⁶ to 5.10⁷ cells ofMicrococcus, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells of Debaryomyces, 10⁵ to 5.10⁶ cells ofKluyveromyces 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵ cells of P. chrysogenum, and 5.10⁴ to 5.10⁵cells of P. nalgiovensis, per gram of meat.
 8. The process of claim 1,wherein during step d) the volume of said cell extracts is added to only5 to 50% of the total volume of the raw material to conduct acceleratedripening and thereby prepare a ripened composition, said process furthercomprising the step of further introducing said ripened composition,after accelerated ripening, into the rest of the raw material as aflavoring.
 9. The process of claim 1, wherein in addition to the volumeof the cell extract added to the raw material, one or more ripeningfactors consisting of enzymes, lactic bacteria, and extracts from lacticbacteria cells are added to the raw material.
 10. A process for reducingthe duration of the ripening phase during the manufacturing of afermented food product from a raw material consisting of a milk or ameat, by the addition of at least one enzymatic cellular extractutilized in the natural ripening of said raw material, comprising thesteps of: a) preparing a collection of different ripening microorganismcell extracts, comprising the steps of: preparing a biomass consistingof a mixture of different species of living ripening microorganismswhich is fermented to obtain a final biomass comprising 10⁹ UFC/ml forbacteria and 10⁷ UFC/ml for yeasts and moulds, lysing the cells of saidripening microorganisms of said biomass; wherein the number of ripeningmicroorganism cell equivalents after the step of cell lysis forming saidcollection is greater than the number of the same microorganism cellspresent in said raw material; blending the ripening microorganism cellextracts obtained, and b) adding a volume of said cell extracts to saidraw material, wherein the number of ripening microorganism cellequivalents in the volume of said cell extracts is 10 to 10,000 timesgreater than the number of the same microorganism cells present in saidraw material.
 11. The process of claim 10, wherein cell extracts areobtained from different species of living ripening microorganismsselected from the group consisting of: Corynebacterium glutamicum,Brevibacterium linens, Arthrobacter globiformis, genusPropionibacterium, genus Micrococcus, Staphylococcus xylosus,Staphylococcus carnosus, Hafnia alvei, Enterococcus faecalis,Enterococcus faecium, Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae,Kluyveromyces lactis, Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium candidum,Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium roquefortii, and Penicilliumnalgiovensis.
 12. A soft or uncooked pressed cheese with a floweredrind, obtained according to the process of claim
 3. 13. A soft oruncooked pressed cheese with a washed rind, obtained according to theprocess of claim
 4. 14. A blue-veined soft cheese, obtained according tothe process of claim
 5. 15. A cooked pressed cheese, obtained accordingto the process of claim
 6. 16. A cured meat product, obtained accordingto the process of claim 7.